Enrichment Mini-Course (EMC)
Course Descriptions
(Alphabetical by course title)
*All courses subject to change; additional courses expected.
Anatomy of the Human Body
(Discipline: Medical Sciences, Anatomy)
Do you want to get up close and personal with human anatomy? If yes, then this is the course for you!
Students will learn the five major systems of the body, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular,
respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal systems as an introduction to the exciting world of human
anatomy. Students will also get hands on experience working with cadaveric specimens and plastinated
models, and have an exclusive opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art Anatomy Museum and
Laboratory to explore the human body, inside and out! Most importantly, students are exposed to a
challenging and engaging learning environment, led by highly-regarded experts in the field of anatomy
at Queen's.
Art & Culture: More Than a Pretty Picture
(Discipline: Art, Art History)
Ever wondered why the most famous works of art mean, and how they got to be so important? What
role art plays in society, and why we care so much about it? These are only some of the questions we'll
tackle in this interactive, analytical course. Students will engage with art history and contemporary art,
think about different time periods, and the ways that society and politics shape the way art is made and
how it is valued, using a variety of different media. We will examine local exhibits, and learn to break
down the meanings of individual art works. By the end, students will be able to discuss the differences
between different styles, and why they matter.
Biomechanics and Sports Injuries
(Discipline: Science, Kinesiology, Biomechanics)
Have you ever been interested in how we are injured from sports? How about rehabilitation? Ever
wondered how the movement of your body changes with injury? This course explores the wonders of
human movement by focusing on injuries that occur in sports. You will learn about human anatomy and
how different tissues handle stress, have the opportunity to learn how to tape injuries (ya, thats right),
and even use advanced imaging equipment to understand how we can measure sports injuries. Cool!
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Brand YOU: How the world’s most recognizable brands can teach us to stand out.
(Discipline: Business, Marketing )
In a week filled with introductory marketing material that aims to uncover the essence of what “brands”
are, this course reveals the tactics that built the world’s most recognizable brands, such as Apple,
Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and will allow you to build your own brand manifesto. Using videos, magazines,
social media and discussions in class we will learn more about how to develop brand strategies and
understand how branding affects more than just products and companies but ideas, actions and
individuals. We will gain an understanding of what contributes to the success (and failure!) of brands
and apply some of these insights to crafting example brand strategies. At the end of the course,
students will leave with a strong knowledge of core marketing and branding principles and will be able
to apply this knowledge towards completing their personal brand manifesto. After all, what is your
brand?
Creative Writing: Secrets of the Pen
(Discipline: English, Creative Writing)
Do you yearn to write stories that can take readers to exciting new worlds or help them discover
valuable life lessons? Do you dream of writing the next Harry Potter, Frozen, The Hunger Games, Star
Wars, or perhaps Percy Jackson? This course will help you master the secrets of writing full-length
stories, including how to develop an original story idea, create characters readers will fall in love with,
construct an emotional roller-coaster of a plot, build your story world, and write your adventure with
flair.
Dance and Film
(Discipline: Creative Arts, Dance)
Part film viewing, part movement lab, part lecture and discussion; this course explores how dance is a
way of articulating and communicating identity. Students will use filmed dance performances as a
jumping off point for classroom discussion and group work that focuses on issues of gender, race, and
class, and how they intersect in a variety of ways. In-studio sessions will investigate how our
assumptions about race, gender, and class shape our own movement patterns through movement
exploration and analysis. All of this will allow us to do a close reading/viewing of a Hollywood film that
focuses on the differences between ballet and hip-hop, white and black, men and women, and upper,
middle, and lower classes. This course is meant for both students with no previous dance study and
students who have taken dance.
Demons and Witches, Oh My!
(Discipline: Cultural Studies)
Witches and demons and dark arts, oh my! Get ready to enter a world of mystical magic and deep
paranoia, as we explore the history of demons and witches! Where did belief in these creatures of the
night come from? Why was this fear so prevalent that, hundreds of years later, movies like the Exorcist
still terrifies and a musical starring a green witch singing about being wicked wins TONYs? And what was
really going on in Salem? This course will take students on a journey through the social and historical
creation of demons and witches, from ancient ritual to modern day. Leaning on historical texts like the
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Malleus Maleficarum (a book on how to spot and prosecute witches from 1486) and modern day
incarnations as far afield as Africa and Great Britain, this class will explore how belief turned into fear,
and ended with persecution. We’ll apply this knowledge in our daily Village Meetings, where students
will take on roles in our fictional Puritan community, before the High Inquisitor arrives for our liveaction, pick-your-own-adventure game. That’s right, we’re having a witch-hunt and everyone’s invited!
Will you find a witch before it’s too late, or will the innocent burn?
Designing Our Green Future: Sustainable Architecture for Canadian Climates
(Discipline: Architecture)
Canada's vast, northern geography requires a deep understanding of ecological patterns, in addition to
innovative technical solutions to produce sustainable designs. Students in this course will become
familiar with fundamental concepts of sustainable design, then move onward to learning about building
systems and materials and standards used in green construction. In addition to touring local green
buildings, students will have hands-on opportunities to develop site designs, mix and apply natural
plasters, and assemble wall panels for a tiny house. Case studies of leading-edge sustainable building
projects will be discussed, and students will be provided with tailored resources to continue learning
about the design process.
Do it in Chinese
(Discipline: Languages)
Do you know Mandarin Chinese is the language whose native speakers' population rank No.1 in the
world? Can you imagine that a single syllable "ma" can mean "mother" ,"flax ","horse", "to fight" and
even more meanings distinguished only by tones? Do you have the feeling that Chinese characters are
like pictures? In this course, we will experience this oriental language from its sound to its writing
symbols through hands-on activities. We will also learn to speak the language, and will be able to
complete real-life tasks with native speakers through conversation.
Inquiring Eyes; Telling Investigations.
(Discipline: History, Interdisciplinary)
Going beyond the who, what, where and when, students will observe and analyse our heritage area at a
deeply analytical level. They will question and research to answer: WHY are these items, building, trees
or roads, together, here and now? HOW did the development and changes to this location occur like
this? WHY are these landmarks here? HOW would things be different if one variable had been different?
Investigative observations, critical analysis, story-lines, extrapolations and experimenting with variations
around a foundation of a local heritage time-line will provide the students with a unique and
adventurous immersion back in time. Along the way, students will deepen their understanding of their
own critical literacy and metacognition through discussions, written and other expressed
communications such as writing in various forms, presentation in a range from skits to debate, and their
individual collection of images, now abundant in historical meaning. No historic site will be un-informing
ever again!
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It's Nothing Personal, It's Just Business
(Discipline: Business, Commerce)
As the world renowned business tycoon Donald Trump once said, "It's Nothing Personal, It's Just
Business". But what is 'Business' exactly? In five days, we will explore the answer to this question. Using
both theory and examples from real organizations, you will be introduced to some of the most
important topics in Business: Strategy, Leadership, Accounting, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. To
bring the concepts to life, you will participate in simulations, team exercises, and have the chance to
create and 'pitch' your own business idea. If your dream job includes a top floor corner office, or you
want to be your own boss someday, this is the course for you!
Let's Make a "Demo" Writing and Recording Your Own Song
(Discipline: Music, Creative Arts)
We will explore the art of song writing through hands-on experience in a workshop setting. We will
develop and hone our ability to work with ideas, lyrics, melody, and groove. We will work in an
encouraging, playful atmosphere, in small and large groups, as well as individually. There will be lots of
opportunity to experiment with ideas, sounds, lyrics to create and record 'demos' of your songs (either
individually or in small groups). No previous song writing experience is necessary, only a willingness to
experiment and take risks.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine
(Discipline: Bio-Medical Science)
This course will provide students with a thorough introduction to the field of Pathology & Molecular
Medicine. Topics will include genetics, cancer, neuropathology, pharmacology and toxicology and many
others. We will tour the Queen’s University Anatomy Museum, the Patient Simulation Laboratory and
the Museum of Health Care. Students will also have the opportunity to solve their own diagnostic cases.
The course will include lectures from graduate students, researchers and doctors in the field.
Religion is Out There
(Discipline: World Religions, Interdisciplinary)
In this class, you will learn how religion manifests itself within Canada and other cultures around the
world. While you will learn some of the basic beliefs and tradition of different religions, we will ground
our work through looking at how religion is physically represented in Canada by examining different
religious sites, such as temples, churches, mosques and so on. Through this analysis of religious space,
we will explore questions such as what is a religious space, what role, if any, does religion play in
Canadian society, and how is religious space understood and interacted with by believers and nonbelievers, and what are the differences between religious and secular space, and how do and should the
two interact with each? As part of the course, we will also take trips to different religious sites in
Kingston to examine first hand the impact they have.
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Rocket Science: How to Get to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond
(Discipline: Science, Astronomy, Interdisciplinary, )
Do you want to look for life on Mars? How about land on a comet moving at 60,000 km/hr? If you like
hot weather then Venus might be nice, but watch out when it starts raining liquid lead! Or if you prefer
the cold we could go to Titan and wade through lakes of methane. All these places have been visited by
spacecraft designed and built by humans, a bunch of glorified apes who only invented the airplane
about 100 years ago. Learn how it's done during this interactive course, where we'll look at the
technologies that make it possible through discussion, activities, and computer simulation. Topics will
include: launch vehicles; mission planning; propulsion; orbital manoeuvres; entry, descent, and landing
systems; life support; autonomous control; and much more. If you want to be a rocket scientist then this
is the course for you!
Sociological Inquiry of Video Game Culture
(Discipline: Social Science, Sociology)
This course will provide a broad yet in-depth account of the sociology of video games. It will cover key
topics in video game studies, such as gender and ethnic representations, interpretations of signs and
symbolism in games, video game culture in the real and virtual worlds, the effects of violence debate,
and the political economy of and in games. The course will also cover the foundation of key sociological
ideas and methodologies. The course will emphasize using these ideas as a way of seeing and
interpreting. Students will learn how to apply sociological ideas to understand not only the things they
interact with, but everyday life as well.
"Still I Rise:" The Black Experience in North America
(Discipline: History)
Movies such as 12 Years a Slave and books such as The Help and The Book of Negroes have sparked a
new conversation about race – not only in a historical sense, but also in terms of contemporary culture.
What do these historical processes mean for multiculturalism today? This course will start with an
overview of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Then we will explore aspects of black American and
Canadian history and social identity, with an emphasis on unique black cultural groups today: the
Louisiana Creoles, the Gullah of South Carolina, Black Nova S cotians, and Caribbean Black Canadians.
Students will attend a field trip to a black history exhibit in Oakville, view related films, and hear from
guest speakers from Queen’s History and Geography departments.
Teaching and learning: Your key to your future!
(Discipline: Interdisciplinary)
How do we learn? How can we learn more efficiently and effectively? How can teaching promote
learning? As students, learning is our job, and developing an understanding of how we learn best can
enhance our achievement. The reality is, we learn every day throughout the course of our lives. Our
ability to learn and teach influences our success in university, college, and the workplace. If you aspire to
be a teacher, coach, doctor, engineer, financial advisor, or even a parent some day, you will be
responsible for teaching. In this course, you will discover how people learn complex information, explore
effective teaching and learning strategies, and critically examine your own teaching and learning skills.
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You will also have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities throughout
Queen's University and hear Professors and Doctoral students from the Faculty of Education present
their latest research on teaching and learning.
The Games You Play: Virtual Worlds, Culture, and Difference
(Discipline: Sociology)
Do you play video games? It is no surprise if you said yes. Video games have become one of the most
prominent cultural products produced and consumed in Canada. With so many people playing video
games it is important to ask questions like: Who plays these games and why? What cultural stories,
messages and values do video games circulate? What connection do video games have to our everyday
lives? In this course, students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary to answer these important
questions with an emphasis placed on the perspective of social difference. Using contemporary news
stories as a guide, students will also examine the outcomes for others who have asked similar questions.
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through game play, analysis,
presentation and debate.
Twilight of the Living Dead
(Discipline: Cultural Studies, Interdisciplinary)
Zombies only want you for your brains- and so we do we. Learn about the magical world of all that’s
undead and sometimes glittery in this course that will span the beginnings and progressions of zombie
and vampire myths across cultures. We’ll explore what these creatures are, the ethics and philosophical
meaning within their legends, and why everyone seems to want fangs (or a crossbow) these days.
Drawing on franchises like The Walking Dead, Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and World War Z, we’ll
explore the history of these creatures, modern day interpretations, and how a real-life apocalypse could
be just around the corner. Students will use all this to create their ultimate Survival Plan to get
themselves through a Zombie-Vampire Battle Royal. Then, they’ll get the chance to test their skills as
part of our live-action, pick-your-own-adventure Zombie Game! Will you survive, or will you be lunch?
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! - The Beatles in Popular Music and Culture
(Discipline: Music, Interdisciplinary)
This course explores the cultural history and legacy of The Beatles in Western popular music and culture.
In this course, we will look at the ways in which the "four lads from Liverpool", John Lennon, Paul
McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were part of one of the largest popular culture
phenomenon's of the twentieth century, "Beatlemania" and the ways in which their music, fashion, and
representation in popular culture shaped the decade of the 1960s and contemporary culture. Part of our
course will involve tracing the group's influence by looking at key highlights in their career, and their
extenuating influence on the surrounding cultural context: including, but not limited to a close analysis
of certain lyrics, their theatrical films, promotional music videos, public appearances and performances,
geographical places informed by their music and album covers. No previous knowledge of the group is
necessary to enjoy this course - bring and open mind and open ears. Yeah, yeah yeah!
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